Chemical Equipment Operators

Skills

People in this career need to:

Communicate

• Listen to other workers and ask questions.
• Read and understand work-related manuals and diagrams.
• Express ideas clearly when speaking or writing.

Reason and Problem Solve

• Identify problems and review information. Develop, review, and apply solutions.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Develop rules or follow guidelines for arranging items.
• Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.

Use Math and Science

• Use math skills to solve problems.
• Use scientific methods to solve problems.

Manage Oneself, People, Time and Things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Manage the time of self and others.
• Direct plant laborers as they work.

Work with People

• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Use several methods to learn or teach others how to do something.

Work with Things

• Watch gauges, dials, and output to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Operate and control equipment.
• Determine the causes of technical problems and find solutions for them.
• Maintain equipment on a routine basis. Determine when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
• Determine the tools and equipment needed to do a job.
• Test and inspect products and processes. Evaluate quality or performance.
• Analyze needs and requirements when designing products.
• Repair machines or systems.
• Design equipment and technology to meet user needs.

Perceive and Visualize

• Quickly and accurately compare numbers, graphs, or patterns.
• Identify a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in distracting material.

Knowledge

People in this career need knowledge in the following areas:

• Mathematics: Knowledge of the rules and uses of numbers. Areas of knowledge include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and statistics.
• Mechanical: Knowledge of designing, using, and repairing machines and tools.
• Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of protecting people, data, and property.
• English Language: Knowledge of the meaning, spelling, and use of the English language.
• Production and Processing: Knowledge of how products are made and supplied.

Interests

People in this career are people who tend to:

• Consider support from their employer important. They like to be treated fairly and have supervisors who will back them up. They prefer jobs where they are trained well.
• Consider relationships important. They like to work in a friendly, non-competitive environment. They like to do things for other people. They prefer jobs where they are not pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
• Consider independence important. They like to make decisions and try out ideas on their own. They prefer jobs where they can plan their work with little supervision.
• Have realistic interests. They like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like to work with plants, animals, and physical materials such as wood, tools, and machinery. They often prefer to work outside.

Source: Minnesota Department of Education.